Exercise bench

ABSTRACT

An exercise bench includes a support frame, a first pad body and a second pad body. The support frame has a guide rod. The first pad body and the second pad body are pivotally mounted to the support frame at a first pivot and a second pivot respectively. Specifically, a link member is pivotally mounted to the first pad body at a first pivotal fulcrum and movably mounted to the guide rod at a sliding fulcrum for sliding along the guide rod. In addition, a support member is pivotally mounted to the support frame at a third pivot, and has a telescopic post being pivotally mounted to the second pad body at a second pivotal fulcrum. Particularly, a link rod pivotally connects the link member and the support member to form a linkage such that the first pad body and the second pad body are synchronized with each other.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to an exercise apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an exercise bench with a linkage mechanism.

2. Description of the Related Art

An exercise bench is an equipment design to provide a support for use in weight training or other exercise training Generally, the conventional exercise bench includes a seat for supporting a user's buttocks and a seat back for supporting the user's back. The seat and the seat back are pivotally mounted to a frame such that the inclined angles of them could be adjusted. However, when the user wants to adjust the exercise bench, the user needs to adjust the inclined angles of the seat and the seat back respectively, which is inconvenient to use.

One type of exercise bench is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,674,215, which includes a seat and a seat back each pivotally mounted to a support frame at respective first and second stationary pivots. Particularly, the seat and the seat back are coupled to each other at a movable pivot which translates along a guide track under the seat. In this manner, the seat could be synchronized with the seat back while the seat back is adjusted.

However, the conventional exercise bench still has one disadvantage as following. The linkage mechanism between the seat and the seat back just relies on gravity for tacking on a slide of the seat back, which is not stable during exercise training Moreover, if this similar mechanism be tilted up for different applications, it may not be fully operable.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional exercise bench. Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to an improved exercise bench. In particular, a linkage mechanism links two pad bodies in a way that the motion between the pad bodies are synchronized in close proximity to each other, but do not interfere.

Specifically, the exercise bench includes a support frame, a first pad body, a second pad body, a link member, a support frame and a link rod. The support frame has a guide rod mounted thereto in a longitudinal direction of the support frame. The first pad body is pivotally mounted to the support frame at a first pivot and rotatable about the first pivot to change positions of the first pad body. The second pad body is pivotally mounted to the support frame at a second pivot and rotatable about the second pivot to change positions of the second pad body. The first pad body and the second pad body are arranged with respect to the longitudinal direction of the support frame. Specifically, the link member defines a first pivotal fulcrum, a first connecting fulcrum and a sliding fulcrum, wherein the link member has an upper end pivotally mounted to the first pad body at the first pivotal fulcrum and a lower end mounted to the guide rod at the sliding fulcrum for sliding along the guide rod. Moreover, the support member has a telescopic post and a second connecting fulcrum. The support member is pivotally mounted to the support frame at a third pivot for being rotatable about the third pivot. The telescopic post is telescopic in an axial direction, and has an upper end pivotally mounted to the second pad body at a second pivotal fulcrum. Particularly, the link rod is pivotally connecting the link member at the first connecting fulcrum and the support member at the second connecting fulcrum to form a linkage for synchronous motion of the first pad body and the second pad body.

Preferably, the telescopic post has an outer tube and an inner tube. The outer tube is rotatable with respect to the support frame and the inner tube is telescopically received in the outer tube for sliding along the outer tube. The inner tube has an upper end pivotally mounted to the second pad body at the second pivotal fulcrum.

Preferably, the inner tube has a plurality of positioning holes in one side thereof A lock pin is positioned in a selected one of the positioning holes in the inner tube for locking the outer tube and the inner tube relative to each other such that a length of the telescopic post is adjustable to change inclined positions of the second pad body.

Preferably, the link member has a connecting arm and a mounting tab on one side of the connecting arm. The first pivotal fulcrum and the sliding fulcrum are defined at an upper end and a lower end of the connecting arm respectively, and the first connecting fulcrum is defined at the mounting tab.

Preferably, the sliding fulcrum of the link member is pivotally connected with a slide bushing for sliding along the guide rod.

Preferably, the guide rod has one end secured to the support frame. Specifically, the guide rod is arranged in an orientation to accommodate a motion of the sliding fulcrum of the link member.

Preferably, the support member has a swing arm connected with the telescopic post for being rotatable about the third pivot. The link rod is pivotally connected to the swing arm at the second connecting fulcrum.

Preferably, the first pad body is a seat, the seat having a front end pivotally mounted to the support frame at the first pivot. The second pad body is a seat back, the seat back having a front end pivotally mounted to the support frame at the second pivot. A rear end of the seat is adjacent to the front end of the seat back.

Preferably, the first pivotal fulcrum between the seat and the link member is located close to the rear end of the seat, and the second pivotal fulcrum between the seat back and the telescopic post is located close to a rear end of the seat back.

The reader is advised that this summary is not meant to be exhaustive. Further features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise bench in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the exercise bench, wherein one of the support braces is not shown;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the exercise bench shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the exercise bench, wherein one of the support braces, the seat cushion and the back cushion are not shown;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of the exercise bench shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6-12 illustrate that the exercise bench is adjusted to various inclined positions; and

FIG. 13 is a side view of an exercise bench in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically depicted in order to simplify the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an exercise bench 10 is provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The exercise bench 10 comprises a support frame 20, a first pad body, a second pad body and a linkage mechanism mounted between the first and second pad bodies.

The support frame 20 has a pair of support braces 22, a front leg 23 and a rear foot 24. The support braces 22 are arranged parallel to each other and each extends from the front leg 23 to the rear foot 24 so as to define a longitudinal direction of the support frame 20. Preferably, each of the support braces 22 is arcuate in shape which defines a central portion higher than two end portions, as shown in FIG. 3. A guide rod 25 is mounted to the support frame 20 in the longitudinal direction and located between the pair of the support braces 22. The guide rod 25 has a front end secured to the front leg 23. Preferably, the guide rod 25 is arranged, but not limited to, with an upward inclined angle as shown in FIG. 4.

In the preferred embodiment, the first pad body is a seat 30 which comprises a seat frame 32 and a seat cushion 34 mounted on the seat frame 32. The seat frame 32 of the seat 30 has a front end pivotally mounted to an upper end of the front leg 23 of the support frame 20 at a first pivot 35, so that the seat 30 could be rotatable about the first pivot 35 to change angular positions of the seat 30.

In addition, the second pad body is a seat back 40 which comprises a seat back frame 42 and a back cushion 44 mounted on the seat back frame 42. The support braces 22 each has a connecting plate 221 projected from an upper side of the respective support brace 22. The seat back frame 42 of the seat back 40 has a front end pivotally mounted to the connecting plates 221 of the two support braces 22 at a second pivot 45, so that the seat back 40 could be rotatable about the second pivot 45 to change angular positions of the seat back 40. As shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the seat back 40 is adjacent to a rear end of the seat 30 such that the seat 30 and the seat back 40 are arranged in series with respect to the longitudinal direction of the support frame 20.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the linkage mechanism comprises a link member 50, a support member 60 and a link rod 70 interconnecting the link member 50 and the support member 60. The link member 50 is configured to connect the support frame 20 and the seat 30 and provided with three fulcrums as a first pivotal fulcrum 52, a first connecting fulcrum 54 and a sliding fulcrum 55. In the preferred embodiment, the link member 50 is typically defined by, but not limited to, a connecting arm 56 and a mounting tab 58 on one side of the connecting arm 56 as long as the link member 50 provides above three fulcrums 52, 54, 55. The first pivotal fulcrum 52 and the sliding fulcrum 55 are defined at an upper end and a lower end of the connecting arm 56 respectively; and the first connecting fulcrum 54 is defined at the mounting tab 58. The link member 50 is pivotally mounted to the seat frame 32 of the seat 30 at the first pivotal fulcrum 52, wherein the first pivotal fulcrum 52 is located close to the rear end of the seat 30. The sliding fulcrum 55 of the link member 50 is pivotally connected with a slide bushing 551 which is mounted around the guide rod 25 for sliding along the guide rod 25. In particular, the guide rod 25 is arranged in an orientation to accommodate a motion of the sliding fulcrum 55 of the link member 50. Accordingly, the sliding fulcrum 55 could be linearly movable along the guide rod 25. Specifically, a retaining plate 26 is mounted to a rear end of the guide rod 25 for retaining the slide bushing 551 within the guide rod 25. Moreover, the mounting tab 58 with the first connecting fulcrum 54 extends from the connecting arm 56 toward the seat back 40 such that the first connecting fulcrum 54 is generally arranged between the first pivotal fulcrum 52 and the sliding fulcrum 55.

Referring to FIGS. 4-5, the support member 60 is configured to connect the support frame 20 and the seat back 40. The support member 60 has a swing arm 62 and a telescopic post 64. The swing arm 62 is pivotally mounted to the support braces 22 at a third pivot 63 for being rotatable about the third pivot 63. The telescopic post 64 has an outer tube 65 and an inner tube 66. The outer tube 65 of the telescopic post 64 is connected with the swing arm 62 so that the telescopic post 64 is synchronously rotated with the swing arm 62 about the third pivot 63. The length of the inner tube 66 is larger than that of the outer tube 65. The inner tube 66 is telescopically received in the outer tube 65 for sliding along the outer tube 65 such that the telescopic post 64 is telescopic in an axial direction to change the length of the telescopic post 64. The inner tube 66 has an upper end pivotally mounted to the seat back frame 42 of the seat back 40 at a second pivotal fulcrum 67. The second pivotal fulcrum 67 is located close to a rear end of the seat back 40 and the third pivot 63 is located between the second pivot 45 and the second pivotal fulcrum 67.

The telescopic post 64 provides a telescopic positioning design. The inner tube 66 has a plurality of positioning holes 661 in one side thereof. A lock pin 68 is positioned in a selected one of the positioning holes 661 in the inner tube 66 for locking the outer tube 65 and the inner tube 66 relative to each other. Therefore, the length of the telescopic post 64 is adjustable to change inclined positions of the seat back 40. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the outer tube 65 further has a cylinder 651 disposed thereon for supporting the lock pin 68. The lock pin 68 is movably received in the cylinder 651. Furthermore, an elastic member 652 is received in the cylinder 651 and interposed between the lock ping 68 and an inner wall of the cylinder 651. The elastic member 652 is configured to provide a restoring force for elastically retaining the lock ping 68 in a lock position with respect to the inner tube 661.

The link rod 70 has one end pivotally connected to the link member 50 at the first connecting fulcrum 54 and the other end pivotally connected to the swing arm 62 of the support member 60 at a second connecting fulcrum 69. By means of the link rod 70, the link member 50 is coupled to the support member 60 as a linkage so that the motion between the seat 30 and the seat back 40 are synchronized in close proximity to each other. Specifically, the seat back frame 42 of the seat back 40 has a space 421 for receiving the swing arm 62 and the second connecting fulcrum 69 so as to prevent the second connecting fulcrum 69 from being interfered by the seat back frame 42, as shown in FIG. 4.

The exercise bench 10 provides an apparatus for a user to use in weight training The exercise bench 10 includes the seat 30 for supporting the user's buttocks and the seat back 40 for supporting the user's back. By means of adjusting the length of the telescopic post 64 of the support member 60, inclined angles of the seat 30 and the seat back 40 could be adjusted. In particular, the exercise bench 10 defines a plurality of inclined positions to accommodate the user's motion. FIG. 3 shows the exercise bench 10 in a horizontal position, wherein the lock pin 68 is positioned in the first positioning hole 661 of the inner tube 66 and the angle between the seat 30 and the seat back 40 is 180 degrees for the user to lie on.

FIG. 6 illustrates that the lock pin 68 is positioned in the second positioning hole 661 of the inner tube 66, and the inner tube 66 is elongated upward for a distance. In this manner, the seat back 40 is rotated about the second pivot 45 in counterclockwise direction; at the same time, the swing arm 62 and the telescopic post 64 are rotated about the third pivot 63 in clockwise direction. The rotational movement of the swing arm 62 drives the link member 50 to move via the link rod 70. The link member 50 is rotated about the first pivotal fulcrum 52 in clockwise direction and the sliding fulcrum 55 is linearly moved along the guide rod 25 toward the front leg 23 and then the seat 30 is simultaneously rotated about the first pivot 35 in clockwise direction so as to change the inclined angle of the seat 30. Under this arrangement, the motions of the seat back 40 and the seat 30 are synchronous in different rotational directions. In FIG. 6, the seat back 40 is upward inclined at an angle of 20 degrees and the seat 30 is downward inclined at an angle of 15 degrees such that the included angle between them is 145 degrees.

Referring to FIGS. 7-12, the lock pin 68 could be positioned in various positioning holes 661 of the inner tube 66 so as to adjust the inclined positions of the seat back 40 and the seat 30 to accommodate the user's motion.

The aforementioned exercise bench 10 provides the linkage mechanism for varying the angular positions of the seat 30 and the seat back 40. Such mechanism of the exercise bench 10 could be applied to other exercise apparatus for different training methods as abdominal exercise apparatus or back extension apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 13, another exercise bench 10′ is provided in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the telescopic post 64 is freely telescopic, namely, there is no lock pin positioned between the inner tube 66 and the outer tube 65. Under this arrangement, the exercise bench 10′ could be used as an abdominal exercise bench for abdominal muscle training Preferably, the exercise bench 10′ is generally equipped with hand grips (not shown) at the seat back 40 for being held by the user. Since the motion between the seat 30 and the seat back 40 are synchronized to accommodate the user's motion, the exercise bench 10′ could be achieved abdominal muscle training by repeating crunch motion.

There are some advantages with respect to the embodiments of the exercise bench described above. Firstly, the exercise bench with a linear linkage mechanism is conformed to an ergonomic design. The link member 50 of the seat 30 and the support member 60 of the seat back 40 are effectively synchronized by the link rod 70. Secondly, the linear motion of the link member 50 along the guide rod 25 of the support frame 20 increases the stability of the exercise bench 10, 10′ in operation.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise bench, comprising: a support frame defining a longitudinal direction, a guide rod mounted to the support frame in the longitudinal direction of the support frame; a first pad body being pivotally mounted to the support frame at a first pivot and rotatable about the first pivot to change an inclined angle of the first pad body with respect to a horizontal plane; a second pad body being pivotally mounted to the support frame at a second pivot and rotatable about the second pivot to change an inclined angle of the second pad body with respect to the horizontal plane, the first pad body and the second pad body arranged in the longitudinal direction of the support frame; a link member defining a first pivotal fulcrum, a first connecting fulcrum and a sliding fulcrum, the link member having an upper end pivotally mounted to the first pad body at the first pivotal fulcrum and a lower end movably mounted coupled to the guide rod at the sliding fulcrum such that the sliding fulcrum is slidable along the guide rod for guiding, the first pad body to change the inclined angle of the first pad body; a support member having a telescopic post and a second connecting fulcrum, the support member being pivotally mounted to the support frame at a third pivot for being rotatable about the third pivot; the telescopic post being telescopic in an axial direction, and having an upper end pivotally mounted to the second pad body at a second pivotal fulcrum; and a link rod pivotally connecting the link member at the first connecting fulcrum and the support member at the second connecting fulcrum such that the motion of the link member and the support member are synchronized by the link rod. wherein the inclined angle of the first pad body with respect to the horizontal plane is simultaneously changed with the change in the inclined angle of the second pad body with respect to the horizontal plane.
 2. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the telescopic post has an outer tube and an inner tube; the outer tube is rotatable with respect to the support frame and the inner tube is telescopically received in the outer tube; and the inner tube has an upper end pivotally mounted to the second pad body at the second pivotal fulcrum.
 3. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inner tube has a plurality of positioning holes in one side thereof; a lock pin is positioned in a selected one of the positioning holes of the inner tube for locking the outer tube and the inner tube relative to each other such that a length of the telescopic post is adjustable to change inclined positions of the second pad body.
 4. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the link member has a connecting arm and a mounting tab on one side of the connecting arm; the first pivotal fulcrum and the sliding fulcrum are defined at an upper end and a lower end of the connecting arm respectively; and the first connecting fulcrum is defined at the mounting tab.
 5. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sliding fulcrum of the link member is pivotally connected with a slide bushing for sliding along the guide rod.
 6. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide rod has one end secured to the support frame; and the guide rod is arranged in an orientation to accommodate a motion of the sliding fulcrum of the link member.
 7. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 1; wherein the support member has a swing arm connected with the telescopic post for being rotatable about the third pivot; and the link rod is pivotally connected to the swing arm at the second connecting fulcrum.
 8. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first pad body is a seat which has a front end pivotally mounted to the support frame at the first pivot; the second pad body is a seat back which has a front end pivotally mounted to the support frame at the second pivot; and a rear end of the seat is adjacent to the front end of the seat back.
 9. The exercise bench as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first pivotal fulcrum between the seat and the link member is located close to the rear end of the seat; and the second pivotal fulcrum between the seat back and the telescopic post is located close to a rear end of the seat back. 